Beautiful
by Stinkfly3
Summary: One night, Laney finally tells Corey her biggest secret, something she never told anyone. But what is it? Inspired by the romantic jello scene from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.


It was a quiet evening in Peaceville. At the Riffin household, Corey and Laney were out on the front lawn looking at the night sky. Kin and Kon went back home a while ago, but Corey wanted Laney to stay for a bit longer.

"Wow Corey," Laney said. "I never thought Peaceville could be so peaceful. The sky is clear and the stars remind me of tiny fairies who float around at night." She paused. "I mean... Wow, constellations."

Corey looked at Laney. "Why do you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" Laney asked in response, looking back at her friend.

"Say something super girly and then bail from it," Corey said. He did have a good point. Laney had a habit of doing that.

Laney hesitated. "Can you keep a secret?"

"No," Corey admitted. He stammered. "B-But this time, sure. Yeah."

"Okay," Laney said. "Well... It was a really long time ago, but I was..." She took a deep breath. "Girly."

"For reals?" Corey asked.

Laney continued. "When I was a little girl, I wore dresses, I had longer hair, and I was obsessed with music. Other girls wanted a princess Barbie doll, I wanted a rock Barbie doll that played actual songs. But all the kids at school criticized me because they thought girls couldn't be musicians."

"Go on," Corey encouraged.

"So I got a new look, kept my girly side hidden, and I was never criticized me again," Laney said. "And I...never originally wore makeup, but...I feel like it's needed for my current style."

"I'll bet you look great without makeup," Corey said.

"Oh I'm really not..." Laney said, her voice trailing.

"I wouldn't say that just yet," Corey said, getting on his feet and pulling Laney off the ground. "I'm taking that stuff off right now."

* * *

Inside the Riffin household, Corey brought Laney over to the kitchen sink and dampened a paper towel. "Close your eyes," he said.

"Core, you don't have to do this," Laney said.

"I don't have to," Corey said. "I want to."

Giving in, Laney closed her eyes. Corey put the damp paper towel on a closed eyelid and started wiping. With each wipe, the black eyeshadow and eyeliner started to fade and the color of flesh slowly surfaced. When the eyelid was cleaned, he started with the other one, repeating the process until it was also cleaned. "Okay," he said, throwing out the paper towel. "You can open your eyes."

Laney opened her eyes. "How do I look?" she asked.

Corey looked at Laney. She looked different without makeup. It was a small change, though. Her eyes looked an inch smaller. "Perfect," he said with a smile. "Absolutely perfect."

"So now that this makeup thing is done, I better get going," Laney said, heading for the door to the garage. "Mom is probably wondering where I am-"

"Wait!" Corey yelped, grabbing Laney's arm. "I'm not done."

* * *

Upstairs, Corey was standing out in the hallway near the bathroom. "Why do you have this in your closet?" Laney asked from inside the bathroom.

"It's one of Trina's old dresses," Corey said. "She gave it to me when I lost a bet."

"Core, I look ridiculous," Laney said. "My old dresses never looked like this. Can't I take it off?"

"You're not leaving that room until I see you in that dress," Corey said. "And take out those bobby pins in your hair."

There was a brief silence until Laney spoke up. "How did you...?"

"I'm the only one who knows you never wanted to cut your hair short," Corey interrupted. "If you remove the bobby pins, I promise I won't make you do this again."

Laney sighed in defeat. "Fine," she said. The next sound Corey heard were several small clinks. "Okay, I'm still wearing the dress and I took out all the bobby pins."

When Corey heard the door unlock, he stood right in front of it as it slowly opened, closing his eyes and covering them with his hand. "And now the reveal," he said jokingly.

But when Corey lifted his hand and opened his eyes, he was in awe. Standing in front of him was a different version of Laney. Her makeup-free face fit her perfectly, not a single blemish in sight. She still kept the yellow barrette in her hair, exposing her emerald green eyes. She was only wearing a light pink dress with poofy sleeves and a magenta bow tied around the waist. Her legs and feet were completely bare, revealing smooth skin. But the biggest change was her hair. It reached past her shoulders and halfway down her back. He had the sudden urge to feel it between his fingers.

"Wow," Corey said, walking towards Laney. "I mean, you were okay before, but now...you're beautiful."

Laney looked away. "No, I'm not," she said. "I can't let Kin and Kon see me like this. I look too childish and I think my hair is getting tangled from letting it grow too long. I should probably get this over with and finally cut it..."

Corey put his hand on Laney's cheek, making her look at him. "Well, why can't Kin and Kon see you looking like a princess?" he asked, shifting his hand to her hair. "I mean, you're still Laney Penn of Grojband...right?" He moved his head closer to hers. "Talented. Fearless. They probably wouldn't mind seeing your girly side."

Laney was fully aware of the small distance between her and Corey. "You know...I've never met anyone like you, Corey Riffin."

"Me neither," Corey said, his eyes slowly closing. "But about you."

At that moment, Laney also closed her eyes and Corey's lips came in contact with hers. He was very gentle, wanting to keep this as a closed-mouth kiss. He carefully moved his fingers through her hair, moaning at the feeling of those silky auburn locks in his hand. The kiss didn't last long, though. They parted when they started to lose oxygen. Yet when they opened their eyes, they were in deep bliss.

"You're a good kisser," Laney said.

"I learned from watching romantic comedies," Corey confessed.

Laney smirked at that bit of information. "Didn't know you were into that kind of stuff," she said.

"Guess this means we're even," Corey said, happy with how things turned out so well for both him and Laney.

**The End**


End file.
